Frank Hatchett
American jazz dancer and dance teacher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frank Hatchett III (December 7, 1935 – December 23, 2013)[1] was an American jazz dancer and dance teacher known for developing VOP, a commercial jazz style that combined traditional jazz technique with contemporary social dance, hip-hop, modern dance and African dance. He performed in theatre, film, television and nightclubs before establishing dance schools in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut.
- jazz dancer
- dance teacher
Frank Hatchett III | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | December 7, 1935 Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 2013 (aged 78) |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Developing VOP jazz |
Hatchett later became a prominent teacher in New York City, where he co-founded the Hines-Hatchett studio with Maurice Hines and remained associated with the school after it became Broadway Dance Center. He taught into his late seventies and received a Dance Teacher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Early life
Hatchett was born in Danville, Virginia, on December 7, 1935, and was raised in East Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts.[2][1] He began dancing as a child at a local Connecticut studio and later trained with Philadelphia dance teacher Eleanor Harris, who helped him secure work in revues in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.[2]
Career
Performing and teaching
Hatchett began his professional career as a jazz dancer, working in theatre, film, television, concert productions and nightclubs.[3] His appearances included work alongside entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Eartha Kitt, and he later appeared on MTV's The Real World and VH1's Driven.[4]
Hatchett opened his first studio, the Hatchett School of Dance, in a converted storefront in Springfield, Massachusetts, where it served neighborhood youth.[2][4] He later opened a second school in Hartford, Connecticut.[4]
After moving to New York City, Hatchett studied Katherine Dunham technique, along with African, East Indian and Caribbean dance forms.[2] He began teaching at Jo Jo's Dance Factory in 1980.[2]
In 1982, he and Maurice Hines established the Hines-Hatchett dance studio in New York City.[5] Richard Ellner assumed ownership of the studio in 1984 and renamed it Broadway Dance Center. Hatchett and Hines remained associated with the new school.[6]
VOP jazz
Hatchett developed a style of jazz dance known as VOP, combining elements of Katherine Dunham technique with contemporary social dance.[3] Dance Magazine described VOP as blending traditional jazz, hip-hop, modern dance and African dance into a commercial style.[5]
In its obituary, Dance Magazine described Hatchett as a jazz pioneer whose teaching developed during a period of transition in jazz dance, as hip-hop was becoming increasingly influential.[5]
His teaching emphasized both dance technique and performance projection, with students performing combinations for one another at the end of class.[3]
Later teaching career
Hatchett later taught regularly at Broadway Dance Center in New York City and traveled as a guest teacher.[3] He also taught for organizations including the Jazz Dance World Congress, Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America.[5]
Hatchett continued teaching into his late seventies and appeared at the Dance Teacher Summit in 2013.[7]
Broadway Dance Center faculty member Sheila Barker was one of Hatchett's former students and later became his teaching assistant. In a 2023 profile, Barker described his influence on her approach to teaching jazz dance.[7][8]